ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. net — in sport
  3. degree — an amount
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. chair — a leader
  9. kick — in football
  10. net — for catching
  11. degree — temperature
  12. rule — a law
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. rule — government
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. degree — from a university
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. net — after costs
  24. shower — to wash

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com